Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all. I can't decide what I would like to do about a cage for my burm (now only about 5 ft). 1st I thought I would order one from Vision but that 6foot one seems too small for an adult burm. So I then got some directions on building a nice one but I am no handy man and would most likely fail if I tried to build one. Plus I would spend alot of x-tra $$$ on the tools / supplies I don't have and would need. I looked around at some other cage sites and most are very pricey when shipping to my state is involved. I did come across Animal Plastics couple of questions though.. You think the T50 (84L x 30D x 18H) model would be good for an adult burm?(I was hoping for 96L but dont think i can cut that cost atm) Also when choosing options on it you can get Solid Top,One 8.5' circle screen,Two 8.5' circle screen, or One 20x12 square screen. Which would be the best? I don't want all my humidity to escape if I got screen. I plan on heating it with a pro-products RHP in the end. Since they break down the cage for shipping it's not as high as some of the other cage dealers. Any info would be great, thanks all! ; )

That cage should work for a while (or permanantly). I personally keep our large burms in 12' cages but as long as they come out for routine exercise, a 6-7' cage will suffice. In terms of the vents on top of the cage, since you are using a pro product RHP (great choice), you really don't need the circular vents. Instead, I would opt for the long vent and place a small fluorescent fixture over that (like the ones used for aquariums) and light the cage with a nice, full spectrum light. You will see subtle benefits while being able to see the animal's beautiful colors; just my .02.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL

>>Hi all. I can't decide what I would like to do about a cage for my burm (now only about 5 ft). 1st I thought I would order one from Vision but that 6foot one seems too small for an adult burm. So I then got some directions on building a nice one but I am no handy man and would most likely fail if I tried to build one. Plus I would spend alot of x-tra $$$ on the tools / supplies I don't have and would need. I looked around at some other cage sites and most are very pricey when shipping to my state is involved. I did come across Animal Plastics couple of questions though.. You think the T50 (84L x 30D x 18H) model would be good for an adult burm?(I was hoping for 96L but dont think i can cut that cost atm) Also when choosing options on it you can get Solid Top,One 8.5' circle screen,Two 8.5' circle screen, or One 20x12 square screen. Which would be the best? I don't want all my humidity to escape if I got screen. I plan on heating it with a pro-products RHP in the end. Since they break down the cage for shipping it's not as high as some of the other cage dealers. Any info would be great, thanks all! ; )
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

Did you check out the boamaster cages(boa master.com) he has the best cages for the money. Water proof, and they look like furniture. He makes them up to 8x4x4. Check them out. One other thing you could do is hire a handyman, I built a 8x8x4 cage for my 16 footer with help of a handyman, it ran 500$ but is beautiful and I got to design it. Good luck

Thanks for the info. guys. ja. I did check out boamaster and cages look nice but I asked him to quote me a price of the 8foot cage with shipping and everything and it was a bit higher than I am willing to pay at the time being. I really would like to get a craftsman to help me with building my own. That way I can be proud of something I made and learn a few things in the process. I am scared if I built my own though I would screw something up and have to start over with that part. haha Rob, you say you keep your burms in 12' cage. Nice! Wish I could do that. Also one more question if you don't mind, would a ExoTerra Repti-Glo 5.0 be a good choice for full spectrum lighting? ( http://www.exo-terra.com/EN/products/repti_glo_50_i.html ) Do you have any Burms in your home, Rob?

Thanks again all! ; )

The exotera bulbs should work fine and your burm will appreciate the quality light environment. I no longer keep burms in my home; just my wildlife center (I have enough herps in my home!). Good luck, Rob

>>Thanks for the info. guys. ja. I did check out boamaster and cages look nice but I asked him to quote me a price of the 8foot cage with shipping and everything and it was a bit higher than I am willing to pay at the time being. I really would like to get a craftsman to help me with building my own. That way I can be proud of something I made and learn a few things in the process. I am scared if I built my own though I would screw something up and have to start over with that part. haha Rob, you say you keep your burms in 12' cage. Nice! Wish I could do that. Also one more question if you don't mind, would a ExoTerra Repti-Glo 5.0 be a good choice for full spectrum lighting? ( http://www.exo-terra.com/EN/products/repti_glo_50_i.html ) Do you have any Burms in your home, Rob?
>>
>>Thanks again all! ; )
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

I would get something a little larger that 18H. I had a problem for a while with the humidity getting too high and causing an URI which required antibiotics. Try asking some friends if they would mind helping you build the cage. Also there are places that you can rent tools from. My burm is almost 10 feet long now, and my husband and I converted a spare bedroom just for her. It took a while and a lot of work, but she is very happy now.